Man Attacked S.C. Trooper with Own Taser Before Fatal Shooting

The victim in a fatal police shooting in Longs last weekend had possession of the officer's taser and used it to attack him before he was shot, according to law enforcement.

On Thursday afternoon, law enforcement answered questions surrounding the fatal police shooting that took place in Longs last weekend, revealing details that were not previously public.

The press conference held by Jimmy Richardson, Horry County Solicitor, took place a few hours after a press conference was held by family and friends of the man killed, 33-year-old Tristan Vereen. In an "unprecedented" move, Richardson showed members of Vereen's family a video captured on a home-security camera that showed part of the struggle between Vereen and South Carolina Highway Patrol Master Trooper W.B. Benton that led to the shooting.

"Anytime you have an officer-involved shooting, there is a lot of wait time between when that officer shooting takes place," Richardson said. "And in that time, the community more often than not have to go out and inform themselves, and that leads to a lot of misinformation getting out there."

The video has not been shared with media but will be soon, Richardson said. He also shared photos of the officer's injuries, which include marks consistent with a taser on his neck. The photos show multiple small red dots, similar to mosquito bites or bee stings, on the officer's neck.

What law enforcement said happened

After a short car chase on Sept. 11, Vereen crashed his car near a home in the Red Bluff area of Longs.

Vereen then exited the vehicle trying to get away, followed by the Benton, SCDPS stated in a news release. Vereen ran around the yard, chased by the Benton, Richardson said.

Vereen was shot with a taser and went down, Richardson said. After that, Vereen and Benton got into a fight during which the officer let go of his taser. Richardson said Vereen used the taser on Benton and bit him. A photo also shows a bite marks on the officer.

Benton then shot Vereen once in the chest. Benton was not wearing a body camera, and it is unclear if he knew Vereen from his previous dealings with law enforcement.

Benton was also injured in the shooting and taken to the hospital. The type and extent of his injuries are unclear but non-life-threatening.

He has been released from the hospital and had surgery on Tuesday, according to Kelley Hughes, a captain with SCDPS. He declined to comment when asked by a Sun News reporter about Benton's condition. The trooper has been placed on paid administrative leave, standard agency protocol after an officer shoots someone, pending the outcome of a SLED investigation.

Benton is assigned to Troop 5, whose coverage area includes Horry County. He has been with the South Carolina Highway Patrol since 2010.

Criminal history

Vereen was known to law enforcement, Richardson said. He has a criminal history in Horry County including multiple arrests for assault, according to the Horry County public index.

In 2012 he was charged with simple assault and unlawful carrying a pistol and spent 15 days in jail. In 2015 he was charged with pointing a firearm at a person and malicious injury to animals or personal property. He spent time in jail for that charge as well.

In January 2016, he was charged with DUI, disorderly conduct, and giving false information to a law enforcement officer. He was sentenced to pay a fine. In 2017 he was charged twice for assault and battery. In 2019 he was charged again in two separate instances for assault.

SLED Investigation

The South Carolina Law Enforcement Division conducts investigations after police shootings at the request of the agency involved in the incident.

In a news release sent to media the night of the shooting SLED announced that a SCHP trooper shot Vereen during a "confrontation" while conducting a traffic stop.

SLED will conduct interviews with all potential witnesses and collect all relevant evidence and will forensically test such evidence as needed, a SLED press release stated.

The incident in Horry County was the 28th police shooting in South Carolina in 2021. In 2020, there were 49 police shootings in South Carolina; two involved the SCHP.

Jenna Farhat contributed to this story.

___

Visit The Sun News (Myrtle Beach, S.C.) at www.thesunnews.com

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.